It’s safe to assume LeBron James leaves many of his opponents quaking in their sneakers. After all, he’s the best basketball player in the world, en route to his seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance after winning three of them.
Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown has ‘no fear whatsoever of LeBron James.’ We admire that
He probably should be a little scared.
Those scared souls don’t include Boston Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown, who told reporters on Friday he doesn’t fear the four-time league MVP and three-time champion.
“I mean, LeBron’s a good player but I look at him as just a regular guy to me,” Brown said, according to CSN Northeast. “I’ve gotta come out and compete just like he’s gotta come out and compete. I’ve gotta tie my shoes just like he ties his shoes. There’s bigger threats in my neighborhood than LeBron James, so I have no fear whatsoever of LeBron.”
That’s the response you’d like to hear from a first-year player who’ll be responsible for checking James at different points throughout their Eastern Conference Finals matchup.
Sure, LeBron’s not just a regular guy. He’s called The King for a reason, and his 6’8, 275-pound stature with frightening speed plays a part. But the first step in attempting to check a player as decorated as James is to level the mental playing field. And that starts with Brown, psyching himself out.
That probably won’t help much. James doesn’t care what his opponent is thinking. He’s going to manhandle whoever’s in-between him and another championship ring — just ask the Golden State Warriors. But it’s a respectable sentiment shared by a young player trying to carve his own future out in this league.
Now, Celtics fans will have to hope that confidence translates over to the court.
See More:
